For John the Baptist came and showed you the right way to live, but you didn’t believe him, while tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even when you saw this happening, you refused to believe him and repent of your sins.

因为约翰遵着义路到你们这里来，你们却不信他；税吏和娼妓倒信他。你们看见了，后来还是不懊悔去信他。”

因为约翰到你们这里来指引你们走义路，你们却不信他，税吏和娼妓倒信了他。你们看见了以后，还是不悔悟去信他。”

因为约翰到你们这里来指引你们走义路，你们却不信他，税吏和娼妓倒信了他。你们看见了以后，还是不悔悟去信他。”

因为约翰来指示你们当行的正路，你们不信他，但税吏和娼妓信了。你们亲眼看见了这些事，竟然还是执迷不悟，不肯信他。

约翰来到你们那里，指示你们行义路﹙或译：“约翰在义路中，来到你们这里”。﹚，你们不信他；税吏和娼妓却信了他。你们看见了之后，还是没有改变心意去信他。

因为约翰来到你们这里指明义的道路，你们不相信他，而那些税吏和妓女们却相信了他。你们虽然看见了，后来还是没有悔改去相信他。

因為約翰遵着義路到你們這裏來，你們卻不信他；稅吏和娼妓倒信他。你們看見了，後來還是不懊悔去信他。」

因為約翰到你們這裏來指引你們走義路，你們卻不信他，稅吏和娼妓倒信了他。你們看見了以後，還是不悔悟去信他。」

因為約翰到你們這裏來指引你們走義路，你們卻不信他，稅吏和娼妓倒信了他。你們看見了以後，還是不悔悟去信他。」

因為約翰來指示你們當行的正路，你們不信他，但稅吏和娼妓信了。你們親眼看見了這些事，竟然還是執迷不悟，不肯信他。

約翰來到你們那裡，指示你們行義路﹙或譯：“約翰在義路中，來到你們這裡”。﹚，你們不信他；稅吏和娼妓卻信了他。你們看見了之後，還是沒有改變心意去信他。

因為約翰引着義路到你們這裏來，你們不信他；收稅人和妓女倒信他。你們看了之後，還是沒有後悔而去信他。

因為約翰來到你們這裡指明義的道路，你們不相信他，而那些稅吏和妓女們卻相信了他。你們雖然看見了，後來還是沒有悔改去相信他。

蓋約翰由義路就爾、爾不之信、而稅吏娼妓信之、且爾見此、後仍不悔以信也、○

蓋約翰以道義就爾、爾不信、而稅吏娼妓信之、且爾見此、又不後悔以信之、○

蓋約翰以義道就爾、爾不信之、而稅吏與妓女信之、且爾見此、仍不悔改以信、○

蓋如望以義路開導於爾、爾不之信；而稅吏娼妓、則信之矣。爾見其事。猶未能悔悟而起信也。

For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.

John came to show you the right way to live. And you did not believe him. But the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. You saw this. But even then you did not turn away from your sins and believe him.

For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.

For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you didn’t believe him. Tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; but you, when you saw it, didn’t even change your minds then and believe him.

For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even have second thoughts afterward so as to believe him.

For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him.

For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not; but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye saw it, did not even repent yourselves afterward, that ye might believe him.

For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you didn’t believe him. Tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him, but you, when you saw it, didn’t even change your minds then and believe him.

For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen[ it], repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.

For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him. But the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe. Although you saw this, you did not later change your minds and believe him.

For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you didn’t believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. When you saw it, you didn’t even repent afterward, that you might believe him.

“ Did John’s authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human?” They talked it over among themselves.“ If we say it was from heaven, he will ask us why we didn’t believe John.

For John didn’t spend his time eating and drinking, and you say,‘ He’s possessed by a demon.’

When they heard this, all the people— even the tax collectors— agreed that God’s way was right, for they had been baptized by John.But the Pharisees and experts in religious law rejected God’s plan for them, for they had refused John’s baptism.

When a certain immoral woman from that city heard he was eating there, she brought a beautiful alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume.Then she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept kissing his feet and putting perfume on them.When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself,“ If this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. She’s a sinner!”Then Jesus answered his thoughts.“ Simon,” he said to the Pharisee,“ I have something to say to you.”“ Go ahead, Teacher,” Simon replied.Then Jesus told him this story:“ A man loaned money to two people— 500 pieces of silver to one and 50 pieces to the other.But neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them both, canceling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that?”Simon answered,“ I suppose the one for whom he canceled the larger debt.”“ That’s right,” Jesus said.Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon,“ Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn’t offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair.You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but from the time I first came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet.You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume.“ I tell you, her sins— and they are many— have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.”Then Jesus said to the woman,“ Your sins are forgiven.”The men at the table said among themselves,“ Who is this man, that he goes around forgiving sins?”And Jesus said to the woman,“ Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

It would be better if they had never known the way to righteousness than to know it and then reject the command they were given to live a holy life.

“ Your ancestors refused to listen to this message. They stubbornly turned away and put their fingers in their ears to keep from hearing.They made their hearts as hard as stone, so they could not hear the instructions or the messages that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies had sent them by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. That is why the Lord of Heaven’s Armies was so angry with them.

In fact, you sent investigators to listen to John the Baptist, and his testimony about me was true.Of course, I have no need of human witnesses, but I say these things so you might be saved.John was like a burning and shining lamp, and you were excited for a while about his message.But I have a greater witness than John— my teachings and my miracles. The Father gave me these works to accomplish, and they prove that he sent me.And the Father who sent me has testified about me himself. You have never heard his voice or seen him face to face,and you do not have his message in your hearts, because you do not believe me— the one he sent to you.“ You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me!Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life.

“ But no, my people wouldn’t listen. Israel did not want me around.So I let them follow their own stubborn desires, living according to their own ideas.

I gave her time to repent, but she does not want to turn away from her immorality.

and who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing him to the cross once again and holding him up to public shame.When the ground soaks up the falling rain and bears a good crop for the farmer, it has God’s blessing.But if a field bears thorns and thistles, it is useless. The farmer will soon condemn that field and burn it.

As John was finishing his ministry he asked,‘ Do you think I am the Messiah? No, I am not! But he is coming soon— and I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the sandals on his feet.’“ Brothers— you sons of Abraham, and also you God fearing Gentiles— this message of salvation has been sent to us!The people in Jerusalem and their leaders did not recognize Jesus as the one the prophets had spoken about. Instead, they condemned him, and in doing this they fulfilled the prophets’ words that are read every Sabbath.They found no legal reason to execute him, but they asked Pilate to have him killed anyway.“ When they had done all that the prophecies said about him, they took him down from the cross and placed him in a tomb.

Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God.

In those days John the Baptist came to the Judean wilderness and began preaching. His message was,“ Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.”The prophet Isaiah was speaking about John when he said,“ He is a voice shouting in the wilderness,‘ Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming! Clear the road for him!’”John’s clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey.People from Jerusalem and from all of Judea and all over the Jordan Valley went out to see and hear John.And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River.But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to watch him baptize, he denounced them.“ You brood of snakes!” he exclaimed.“ Who warned you to flee the coming wrath?Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God.Don’t just say to each other,‘ We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones.Even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.“ I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am— so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never ending fire.”

This is what the Lord says:“ Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls. But you reply,‘ No, that’s not the road we want!’

Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. Don’t just say to each other,‘ We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones.Even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.”The crowds asked,“ What should we do?”John replied,“ If you have two shirts, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry.”Even corrupt tax collectors came to be baptized and asked,“ Teacher, what should we do?”He replied,“ Collect no more taxes than the government requires.”

Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth.

And a great road will go through that once deserted land. It will be named the Highway of Holiness. Evil minded people will never travel on it. It will be only for those who walk in God’s ways; fools will never walk there.